Texas State Board of Education: Extremism on Stage

If anyone still doubts the extremism of the faction that controls the Texas State Board of Education, then read this from board member Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond. It’s one thing when the occasional fringe lunatic barfs up mindless smears and drivel. It’s quite another thing when a duly elected official of the State Board of Education accuses a major presidential candidate of being a traitor to his nation:

We have been clearly warned by his running mate, Joe Biden, that America will suffer some form of attack within the first 6 months of Obama’s administration. However, unlike Joe, I do not believe this “attack” will be a test of Obama’s mettle. Rather, I perceive it will be a planned effort by those with whom Obama truly sympathizes to take down the America that is threat to tyranny. What nobody seems to be discussing is the fact that if such an attack takes place, what about Martial Law? What happens to expand executive power when a state of civil disorder is declared?

You can read the rest for yourself, but Dunbar goes on to say that Obama, if elected, will impose martial law to expand his power. She also claims that he has yet to prove that he’s a “natural born citizen” of the United States, a constitutional requirement for the presidency.

No matter who you support for president, we should all be able to agree that Ms. Dunbar’s disgusting attack is a shocking example of the extremism that has infected the state board. It’s stunning that a board member who helps decide what Texas children learn in their public schools would say something so disgusting and reprehensible. She should be taking refresher courses in civics and good citizenship, not deciding what Texas kids learn.

The State Board of Education will begin revising public school social studies curriculum standards after adopting standards for science in early 2009. Those standards will determine the content in new public school textbooks. Because the Texas market is so big, publishers often craft their textbooks for this state and then sell them to schools across the country.

7 Responses to “Texas State Board of Education: Extremism on Stage”

On a related note, I’m so sorry to hear that none of the anti-science incumbents on the SBOE were defeated. Perhaps the only remedy in certain districts will be to convince pro-science Republicans like Pat Hardy to run against them in the next primaries.

Quite simply, by “anti-science” I refer to those who are proponents of creation pseudoscience, i.e., those who favor bringing nonscientific materials (including the “strengths and weaknesses” nonsense) based on supernatural causation into public school science curricula. For a through discussion of the subject, I refer you to the NCSE: http://ncseweb.org/creationism

[…] so be sure and check out Greg’s Opinion (Dunbar’s Dementia), Texas Freedom Network (Texas State Board of Education: Extremism on Stage and Come on Baby, Light My Fire) and this one from Millard Filmore’s Bathtub (Is our […]